The Old Willis Place

care?" Brushing me aside, she set her flashlight down and struck the yellowed keys. The sound was discordant, warped, tuneless, but she banged away, trying to play "Chopsticks."
    "Stop!" In a panic, I grabbed her and yanked her away from Miss Lilian's precious Stein way. "No one's allowed to touch the piano!"
    For a moment we struggled. Lissa obviously didn't like being told what to do. Finally, she broke away from me and picked up the hat she'd lost in our tussle. Setting it firmly on her head, she deliberately pounded the piano keys, producing a hideous, tuneless sound.
    I wanted to slap her, but as I raised my hand I remembered Miss Lilian's palm striking my cheek, the flash of pain. I shrank back from Lissa, fearful of who I might become, of what I might do. "It's against the rules!"
    "The rules, the rules, the stupid rules. Everything's against the rules. How can you have any fun when you're always worried about breaking rules?"
    "You don't understand," I said. "If Georgie or I—" I burst into tears, too frightened of Miss Lilian to go on.
    Lissa's mood shifted. Abandoning the piano, she gave me a quick hug. "Oh, Diana, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted to explore the house. It's almost as if, as if . . ." She paused and adjusted the hat's angle.
    "As if what?" There was something she wasn't telling me, something that worried me. I shivered, intensely aware of the darkness around us.
    Lissa tilted the hat over one eye and then shifted it the other way. Nervous. Unsure. "I don't know," she said slowly. "I just had to see the house. I had to."
    Over our heads, thunder rumbled. The heavy drapes swayed as the wind found its way through the boards covering the windows. Downstairs something thumped softly. I heard it again and then again, a little louder each time.
    "Please, Lissa," I begged. "Let's go. Before it's too late."
    She stared at me. "Too late for what?"
    "Your father," I blurted, thinking fast. "He'll come home and you won't be there and he'll start looking for you. If he finds us in here..." I let my words trail away, unsure what to say next. "Well, you'll be in trouble for sure. And so will I."
    Lissa shrugged. "Dad isn't strict like your parents. We'll just have a little talk and that'll be that." She shined the flashlight around the room again, letting its light play on old paintings, books, an ornate carved marble fireplace. "I guess I've seen just about everything up here," she said at last.
    Aiming the light in front of us, Lissa followed me downstairs. On the second floor, she paused and looked at Miss Lilian's bedroom. "Are you sure you've never seen her ghost?" she asked.
    My mouth was too dry to answer, so I simply shook my head and tugged her sleeve, urging her not to linger.
    Suddenly, Lissa rushed past me, her feet thudding on the stairs. She bumped the old photographs hanging crooked on the walls, brushed the strips of torn paper aside, and came to a stop at the bottom.
    Turning to me, she said, "Dare me to open the parlor door?"

Chapter 11
    I ran down the steps after Lissa. In a panic, I jerked her hand away from the knob. "Don't open that door!"
    "I want to see where she died." Lissa reached for the knob again. Miss Lilian's hat hid her face, but her voice was shrill with excitement. The rustling sounds grew louder, as if someone in a silk dress was crossing the room. The floor creaked, and the air turned so cold my teeth chattered.
    As clearly as if she was standing beside me, I heard Miss Lilian's voice in my ear. "Get out of the girl's way, Diana. Let her open the door."
    Instead of obeying the old woman, I pressed my back against the door and pushed Lissa away with all my strength. She staggered backward and crashed against the wall.
    "What's wrong with you?" Lissa rubbed her arm and winced as if I'd hurt her. "Are you nuts?"
    "Just stay away from the door. If you open it, she'll get out!"
    "What are you talking about? Who'll get out?"
    In my ear, Miss Lilian's cold voice froze the very air between us. "Let the girl open the door. You and I have business to settle, miss."
    "Please, Lissa, please!" I flung myself at her. "I beg you, we have to get out of here."
    But Lissa evaded me and reached for the knob. "I have to open the door," she cried. "I have to!"
    "That's right," Miss Lilian hissed, "she must open the door. She must, she must."
    Despite my efforts, Lissa managed to turn the knob. The door swung open and slammed against the wall with a loud bang. Out